Ink-Stained Skin
by wordsofawitheringwriter
Summary: Graffiti Artist AU. Lucy loves to photograph the downtown graffiti in every new city she moves to, so who better to document than the Salamander himself? If only she could find him. BadBoy!Natsu gets a taste of his own medicine. "One day you're gonna find a girl that you're head-over-heels for and she's gonna break your heart, and then you're gonna know what it feels like."
1. Ink-Stained Skin and Origami

**Hi guys! New little story here that will hopefully prove to be a good little writing exercise. The chapters may seem a little short because the PLAN is to upload every day, though with this being my senior year on top of playing a sport, we'll see if this actually holds up. The premise for this is thanks to an anon that requested a bad boy Natsu a few months ago over on my tumblr (shameless self-promotion plug here *pst* my tumblr is under the same name as my FF username*) and the first little bit got a good reception over there so maybe it'll do the same here!**

 **I'm posting here as well as Tumblr bc if things go right, this will prove to be way easier to keep up with organization-wise the further we get along. Okay now, without further ado, let's get to the part that everyone clicked this link for (bc I know it wasn't for my long, rambling author's note, haha)**

 **disclaimer: I own nothing**

* * *

Natsu had a problem.

Erza scowled at her friend who was seated across from her at the lunch table, not approving of his poor posture _or_ attitude at the moment. She watched as he shot a wink at a cute brunette across the cafeteria, and noticed how he was purposefully angled _away_ from the pining girl on the other end of the long table who he'd been flirting with just last week.

So yeah, as far as Erza was concerned, her friend needed help.

"What?" he asked, noticing her frown as he scratched at his upper arm that was covered by his flannel, where she knew he was hiding his newest tattoo. Or rather, the newest _addition_ to an old tattoo. He wouldn't let anyone see it, nor would he explain the small bits seen from time to time that would poke out beneath his sleeve.

 _Not until it's finished,_ he would always say, quick to hide the ink-stained skin once it was pointed out.

" _Nothing_ ," the redhead replied with just as much attitude, not in the mood for her friend's snark so early on in the day. "I'm just tired of you being such an _ass_ when it comes to girls."

She watched as his lips pulled back into a smirk, showing off those sharp canines that made him intimidating to anyone who didn't know him personally–which, actually, was mostly everyone.

Natsu wasn't a people person.

"I can't help it if they can't resist me."

"You can help it by not flirting with anything that breathes."

"I don't flirt with dudes."

"Debatable."

" _What_?" That straightened the boy's posture real quick, and Erza struggled to keep her grin at bay.

"You get pretty frisky with Gray at times."

Erza had never experienced Natsu's eye twitch before, but it was actually a pretty hilarious sight.

"I'm ignoring you for the rest of the day."

"You're already not ignoring me by saying that."

" _Damn_ _it_!" Natsu ran his hands down his face, and Erza watched from her peripherals as a fair number of girls around them took the opportunity to openly goggle at the boy while his eyes were covered.

"All I'm saying," she said as she cooly began to collect both her trash and his from the table, making a small, organized pile on her tray. "Karma is a very real thing, Natsu. One of these days you're going to meet a girl who drives you crazy in all the right ways, and she's gonna break your heart. I hope you're ready."

The boy merely rolled his eyes, however, snorting. "Yeah right," he grumbled dismissively, not bothering to say anything as Erza stood from the table to leave.

It wasn't until she was halfway out the door that he realized she had left him with their trays.

Natsu sat at the back of the classroom as his classmates slowly filtered in. He was too busy trying to make an origami fish out of one of his old tardy slips he'd found in his backpack, but he forgot what the fifth fold was supposed to be and soon gave up.

He tossed the small, half-done fish to the floor, not bothering to see where it landed.

Then he heard a soft, " _Oh_."

But he didn't bother to look, seeing as how he didn't remember there being any real interesting girl's in this period. He focused on his notebook as the teacher started class, sketching pieces that he hoped to transfer to the bricks of an abandoned building downtown as soon as he got the chance.

He was so invested in getting the flames just right that he barely registered the small, dainty hand that deposited something on the corner of his desk.

But he saw her wristband, and he paused.

It had the Fairy Tail emblem on it, an indie band that wasn't very well-known by anyone in the school since it was so new.

Natsu looked over to see a face that he hadn't seen before, but damn, if it didn't make him pause. He would've remembered seeing such big eyes that were such an odd shade of brown.

Her hair was pulled away from her face in a loose braid, and she was shyly avoiding his gaze while being careful to write down every word the teacher was saying.

 _Must be a new girl_. Everyone else knew the teacher practically handed them the answers the day of the final.

But who was she?

She peeked over at him for the briefest of seconds, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink as she blushed when she realized she'd been caught.

Natsu felt his chest grow tight.

What the hell was wrong with him?

He desperately wanted to shake himself out of it and throw her wink, or the signature smirk that he gave the rest of the girls in his grade, but he found himself frozen. Something about this girl just left him… wondering, puzzled, perplexed.

He suddenly wanted to know everything about her, starting with the wristband.

The bell rang just then, at that very moment however, and the girl was one of the first ones out the door. Meanwhile, Natsu was still glued to his seat, gazing after her.

His eyes fell back to his sketch, but he was no longer interested in finishing it. He closed the notebook with a heavy _thump_ , returning the pen to his pocket when he remembered that the strange girl had dropped something on his desk.

After zipping his backpack, he stood, and that's when he spotted it, right there on the corner of his desk.

She'd finished his origami fish, and had even added eyes and fins with a purple pen.

"Oh, _shit_ ," he'd muttered under his breath.

Natsu had a very large problem, indeed.

* * *

 **Until Next Time...** ( _aka tomorrow_ )


	2. Track 7

**As promised, here's day 2's update. Hope you enjoy!**

 **disclaimer: I don't own nothin'**

* * *

Track 7 was coming up next, her favorite song on the album, so she raised her fingers to the button on her headphones to adjust the volume.

Her camera hung loosely from its strap around her neck, and she used one hand to help support the device to lighten the weight. The upside to moving around a lot was always having new surroundings. Lucy never took a picture of the same thing twice, mostly because she never knew when her father would be packing up their things again to hit the road.

His business was forever expanding all across the nation, and he was hell-bent on always being on-site for the building up period. It used to drive Lucy insane, moving from school to school, but over the years she learned how to cope with the cardboard boxes and U-Haul trucks.

She spent her time taking pictures of every downtowns' graffiti. Some cities were better than others, but not to Lucy's camera. It held no opinion as it snapped shot after shot, holding the evidence to feelings deeper than just spray paint on old fading bricks.

Her bracelets clink and tangle together as she raised her arms to get the right angle.

It was Sunday, which meant she had only one day left before she would be starting her first day in the middle of Magnolia High's second semester. Not the best time for the new kid to make their first appearance, but Lucky Heart Enterprise has already proved on multiple occasions to not give a shit about its CEO's daughter and her "feelings".

The shutter went off as Lucy pressed the button, and she didn't even bother to check the digital screen.

The city was too large to chance taking multiple shots, or wait around all day for the "perfect" picture. It wasn't her art anyway, so why should she worry about taking credit for a snapshot of something so personal?

The pictures stayed with her in a large, leather-bound photo album that her father had given her one Christmas. And if the Heartfilia's miraculously stayed in one place for more than a few months, Lucy would allow herself to pick a favorite or two to tape to her walls or slide in the frame of her mirror.

Not too many though, because she would leave the pictures there once they moved, so that maybe whoever would occupy their house next would see the graffiti and be inspired to go out and search for it themselves.

Lucy would always grin as she did so, as she hid a secret that only she would know the answer to.

She only left pictures of graffiti from _other_ cities, but maybe the person would eventually find that out for themselves after exploring. And maybe they'd be so enraptured by the graffiti they _did_ see, that at the end of the day they wouldn't care that they never found the particular piece they were looking for.

Lucy grinned one last time at the brick wall in front of her, the mixture of blue and green paint warping around each other to form the figure that made sense in only the artist's mind. No matter, it made its way into the young photographer's collection anyway.

It would be a piece documented forever now, even if it would only be appreciated by one young teenager.

Lucy stepped out of the alley, humming to Track 7 as she did so.

* * *

"Hey, Pyro, what's the matter with you?"

Natsu gritted his teeth at the sound of a new voice echoing in the alleyway, throwing a dirty look down at the newcomer that couldn't be seen through his half-mask respirator. He hated being interrupted in the middle of working on a new piece.

"What's it to ya?" he glowered at the figure below, rolling his eyes when he saw the glint off that all-too familiar cross necklace. "Beat it, Fullbuster. I'm workin' here."

"I can tell." Natsu could hear the smirk in that smarmy voice of his. Sometimes the boy wondered how they were friends–and that's using the term lightly. "Erza said you left school in a hurry. She and Juvia sent me down here after you to tell you that we're meeting at the Guild later tonight. Interested?"

The Guild was a downtown bar that didn't card, so obviously it was a hit with the seniors of Magnolia High. As long as you didn't head in there with any high school drama, the rest of the bar-goers would look the other way as the bartender topped off your drink.

"I'll think about it." Natsu turned back around on the fire escape to return to his newest piece, gripping the bottle tighter when his reply didn't send the other boy walking in the opposite direction as he would have liked.

"Let me rephrase that," Gray said, his hand wrapping around the cool metal of the ladder that Natsu was standing on. "The girls are worried about you, and Erza would come down here herself to get you if the fumes didn't make her so sick. Do you really want me to go back empty-handed just for her to come and get you personally?"

Natsu resisted the urge to shudder in front of the other boy, knowing full well the intensity behind their red-headed friend and her temper when she didn't get her way. If Erza was ever worried about you, the worry didn't last long. She always resolved the problem quickly.

But this time, Natsu didn't want help.

"It's nothing I can't handle," he insisted, spraying another layer of fiery-red over the bricks of the abandoned building he'd found on one late night walk to clear his head.

"I'm sure," Gray coughed as the fumes hit him, throwing the boy a dirty look as a drop of paint landed on his shoulder to leave the impression of newly-spilled blood. "Would you stop that while I'm talkin' to ya? God, you're annoying."

"Sorry," the boy sounded bored as he replaced the earbud that had fallen out earlier. He looked down over the railing, pointing at his ears with a gloved finger. ' _Can't hear ya._ ' he mouthed.

He watched long enough to see Gray flip him the bird before turning, no doubt to return again with reinforcements. His friends hated it when he brooded, so it wouldn't be long before he would come back with the big guns–a.k.a Gajeel.

Natsu shook the paint can, loving the rattling sound that it made.

 _Let them come_ , he thought, taking careful aim. _I'm not leaving this alley until I finish._

The little origami fish from earlier that day was placed carefully in the container holding the rest of his paint cans–serving as inspiration for the Koi fish that Natsu was replicating on the building's wall.

Better amongst the paint cans than in his pocket, where the piece of folded paper had been burning a hole there all afternoon.

He couldn't shake that blonde braid from his mind, nor the depths of those brown eyes that he'd only caught a glimpse of. There had been gold in them, just around the ridges.

And that wristband.

Natsu shook his head, relieving his mind of the new girl as his favorite song came on over the headphones. He resisted the urge to hum along, just incase that smarmy bastard was still within earshot.

Track 7 was always his escape.

* * *

 **Until Next Time** ( _aka tomorrow_ )

p.s. I would love to hear your all's thoughts on this story!


	3. Salamander and His Sister

**whoo day 3 and I'm still on track. What a miracle. Hope you guys enjoy!**

 **disclaimer: I continue to own nothin'**

* * *

The atmosphere of the bar was bustling that night, to which Natsu was thankful for. The constant scraping of chairs against the hardwood and glass mugs being slammed onto tabletops was enough background noise to keep the boy sane. His fingers itched for the smooth, cool metal of his spraycans, his craft, but he owed this to his friends. He hated to make them worry.

Besides, the Guild was always known for being a more boisterous bar as it was, so the environment was almost relaxing. Normal, even.

The boy groaned when someone came up behind him unexpectedly, a large hand coming down hard to thump him on the back as a means of welcome. A simple 'hello' would have worked just fine, the boy grumbled under his breath.

"Heard you were sulking again," said a familiar voice that instantly created that annoying little ache right behind the boy's eyes.

"Hey, Gajeel."

"Natsu left in a hurry after the final bell," Erza replied for him, staring at Natsu over the brim of her mug. A large piece of strawberry cake sat in front of her, untouched. Natsu quirked a brow at this–she must actually be worried. The girl wasn't one to mess around when it came to her sweets.

"What, see a ghost?" the older man teased, throwing himself down in the empty chair the group had saved for him, leaning over to wrap a large, muscled arm around Levy's shoulders.

"Nope," Natsu smirked, making a show of cracking his fingers as he shot his friends his canines. "Just distracted, is all. I'm in need of a new game plan for my latest target." A flash of that blonde braid came to mind, and those large, innocent brown eyes. Just how many shades of one color could fold around an iris?

There was a beat of silence, and then all hell broke loose.

Erza nearly launched herself over the table at him. She was held back only by Gray's quick reflexes that had allowed him to reach out and grab the hem of her shirt, so the redhead settled on throwing her precious slice of strawberry shortcake in Natsu's face instead.

"You idiot!" she fumed as the boy sat there in stunned silence. "You had me worried for nothing! I thought this had something to do with Wendy and here you are upset over your next pursuit?!"

Everything stilled at the mention of Natsu's adoptive sister, even the adjacent tables quieted down to see what would happen next. No one spoke of Wendy, or even dared to bring her up anymore. Even those who weren't familiar with the boy knew better than to bring the younger girl into a conversation, knowing how it affected the scary boy who hid behind a leather jacket and whose knuckles were constantly scraped and wrapped in bandages.

Natsu had never corrected them on that one. His hands were wrapped only because he would constantly run them along the bricks by accident, rubbing them raw until there was hardly any skin left there by the time a piece was done.

He let the bar continue to think it was due to the fact he constantly got into fights, however–made him sound more badass.

Now though, the boy didn't feel like anything. His exterior might still be holding up his image, but inside…

Inside, he felt like he was falling apart.

 _Raw_ , he felt raw. Just like his knuckles against those crumbling bricks.

Even that icy bastard Gray could do nothing other than sit there in stunned silence, his eyes wide as he finally dropped his hold on the redhead's sweater.

Erza's shoulders were heaving as she struggled to control her temper, shaking her head before she pushed herself violently away from the table–rattling the glasses that sat there.

Gajeel whistled a low tune that lasted exactly three beats–Natsu knew because he counted. He slowly wiped the icing from his cheek, flinging it from his fingers and onto the floor in one swipe. His eyes never stopped staring straight ahead, afraid that if he moved he would lose more than just his focal point. He ignored the napkin that Juvia silently offered him, the action somehow voicing the concern she felt for him in that offer.

In one swift motion Natsu slapped his share of the bill down onto the table and stood, heading for the direction of the door before anyone could even try and stop him.

He headed out into the night air that left chills running down his back, purposefully turning in the opposite direction of where he knew Erza would have headed. Natsu slid his hood up over his ears, keeping his head down while walking in long, purposeful strides down the deserted sidewalk.

The entire way, the only thing that occupied his mind were flashes of blue hair and that innocent, twinkling laugh. It had always been music to the boy's ears.

It'd put Track 7 to shame.

* * *

"Idiot," Lucy berated herself as the shop door closed behind her. "Who actually makes an origami fish–with eyes!–and leaves it on the hot boy's desk. Idiot!"

The blonde stuffed her purchases under her arm, at least thankful that the new town had a fairly decent shop that would tend to her photographing needs while she was there. It was silly, but she was actually excited for the new flash drive that she'd gotten her hands on, along with the new stock of film to print out the newest addition to her collection.

Magnolia wasn't disappointing, that was for sure. The urban art was living up to what Lucy had read about on an underground blog that featured the city's more well-known work. Unlike some places, Magnolia didn't seem to mind the newest additions to its buildings.

It seemed as if as long as the artists kept to a certain part of the city–i.e. leaving the newer, more expensive ones alone–then the city officials and street artists could coexist in harmony.

Or, at the very least, scrape by.

The most popular pieces was done by someone who chose to keep their name secret, though that was no surprise. They signed all their work the same, however, always under the name Salamander.

Even though she had collected her things and hurried out the front doors of Magnolia High the second the last bell had rang, she still had no luck in finding any of his pieces.

She'd searched all afternoon, but had little luck.

Lucy was not deterred, however. It just meant that the person most likely displayed their art in lesser known areas around the city. If anything, it made the aspiring photographer excited.

She always had loved a challenge.

Tomorrow was a new day, and with her camera ready, she'd find the infamous Salamander.

Hell, she even let herself feel giddy with excitement as she swung the plastic bag around her fingers as she walked in the direction of her apartment, the streetlights illuminating her way.

 _It felt like an adventure._

* * *

 **Until Next Time** ( _aka tomorrow_ )

p.s. I would love to hear your all's thoughts on this story!


	4. New Girl Has A Name

**day 4 and they're still comin' along, haha. I've never posted four days in a row before! Gonna go celebrate by working on angst week coming up(;**

 **disclaimer: I continue to own nothin'**

* * *

While tapping the eraser-end of his pencil against the desktop, Natsu scratched at his arm beneath the bandage-only partially mindful of its tight wrapping. It would be a bitch to have to run to the bathroom in the middle of class to rewrap it just because he accidentally pulled it loose. As he sketched, the boy made a mental note to schedule his next appointment for a new layer of color along his bicep and up around his shoulder.

Saber was the best tattoo parlor in town, if you could look past it's full name. Saber _Tattooth_ hadn't exactly caught on like the owner would have liked. Hell, even the people who worked there cringed every time a newbie came around and belted the name that was written in a swirly font above the door.

Despite that tiny oversee, the little hole-in-the-wall shop had become the place Natsu frequented most over the two year period that it'd taken his tattoo to come to life. The full sleeve was proving to take an insane amount of time-and money, for that matter-but the tattoo had become his pride and joy over the years. He didn't even mind that his left arm hadn't seen the light of day since his sophomore year of high school, seeing as how he didn't anyone to see it until it was finished.

The only ones who knew what it looked like, other than himself, were the staff at Saber who liked to "conveniently" have a reason to pass by whenever Minerva would be working on him at her station. Each of them would be excited to see the newest addition, not excluding Natsu himself. While it might have initially been his own design that he brought to the woman, Minerva had added her own flare to the piece that left the boy all the more excited for the end result.

The bell rang then, marking the beginning of class and breaking Natsu's train of thought.

He risked a quick glance at the new girl from the corner of his eye, ready to look away at a moment's notice. He was the one pursuing _her_ here, after all, but he couldn't let her think of it that way. Natsu would make the first move but only to get the ball rolling.

He'd have this girl eating out of the palm of his hand before last bell.

The way she was continuing her notes with the same fierce dedication as yesterday, Natsu figured he could use this one to gain an upper-hand in the class. A little flirtation on test days and he'd score her study guide to cheat off of to maintain a passing grade.

That kind of thinking brought on memories of his and Erza's conversation in the cafeteria earlier that week, and he remembered his friend's obvious frustration with his "heartless" ways.

Natsu scoffed.

When they were younger, the older girl had often showed concern for Natsu's "bad habit", thinking he had commitment issues and that was why he could never- _seemingly-_ hold down a relationship with any of the girls who he was often seen hanging around.

 _Then_ , the motherly concern had shifted into annoyance when it dawned on her sometime during their junior year that he wasn't failing at a relationship-he was _enjoying_ the chase.

There'd been a few occasions since then where he'd been called a bastard, and not only by Erza.

In a way, it explained why she had become so heated last night in the bar after he admitted his distraction stemmed only from the new girl, and not something more serious. It didn't matter though, Natsu was still angry that she had to bring Wendy into the conversation.

The hand holding his pencil folded into a fist at the thought of his little sister-the word "adopted" be damned-and it resulted in the accidental snap of the utensil.

"Shit," he said aloud without thinking, ignoring the dirty look the teacher shot him as a result.

To his surprise, he felt a tentative tap on his shoulder few seconds later as the new girl tried for his attention.

"You okay?" she whispered once the teacher went back to the board, the rest of their classmates uninterested as they struggled to either "stealthily" snake their earphones through their hoodie's sleeves or sneak a peek at their phones beneath the desks.

"Yeah, sorry," Natsu frowned while staring down at the broken pencil, too distracted to think about turning this into the perfect opportunity to finally get a feel for the girl and see what would be the best approach-

His line of thinking was cut short when that same, fair-skinned hand deposited something on his desk once again.

"Here," she said softly, retracting her hand once Natsu picked up the purple pen, "you can borrow mine." For a brief moment, he wondered if it was the one used to decorate the origami fish-which was still resting amongst his spray cans-but as she retracted her hand, his eyes locked on to her _Fairy Tail_ wrist band.

For one, fleeting second, Natsu allowed himself to wonder what her favorite song was.

He gestured to it with the point of her pen that he was holding. "You like them?"

"Who?" she asked, as if startled that he was actually trying to start a conversation with her. Her eyes followed where he was pointing, and he watched as they strayed down to her wrist.

She had very long eyelashes, he noted.

"Oh, _Fairy Tail_ ," a small grin tugged at the corners of her lips as she purposely avoided eye contact, using the bracelet as a distraction to tug it carefully back into place. "Yeah, they're my favorite right now. All I've been listening to."

"Really."

"Yeah, I didn't know about them until about two months ago, back in the last town I lived in. I was walking around downtown and saw that someone had painted their logo down an alleyway and, well," she blushed as if she didn't know why she was telling him so much. "I guess it's true what they say about curiosity killing the cat."

"'But satisfaction brought it back,'" he replied stupidly, mentally scolding himself for saying something so dorky. He was ruining his chances here, what the hell was this girl doing to him?

She was still whispering as she grinned shyly, "Yeah, I guess so."

In an effort to save face, he lifted his chin when she finally peeked at him through the corner of her eye.

"Natsu," he told her.

The teacher shushed them then, and Natsu's eyes flitted to the front of the room to see the old man standing in front of the board with his finger pressed to his lips.

He looked back to see her smiling down at her paper.

The girl was still avoiding his eye, but she was grinning. He felt like he could safely call that progress.

"So?" he prompted her, smirking to himself as he waited for her to tell him her name in return.

She said it one breath, the word light and airy on her tongue, or maybe that was just to Natsu's ears.

 _Lucy... huh_.

 _"Shh!"_

* * *

 **Until Next Time** ( _aka tomorrow_ )

p.s. I would love to hear your all's thoughts on this story!


	5. The Sky Cries For Her

**day 5! we start to learn a lil more about the Wendy situation(;**

 **disclaimer: I continue to own nothin' and I continue to be sad about it**

* * *

Natsu jumped at the sound of a metal lid hitting the pavement, causing him to grit his teeth when it made him flinch and send a spray of yellow in an uncharted path across his latest piece.

"Gray, I swear to _God_ if you don't stop interrupting me when-"

But he paused in removing his ventilator, his eyes freezing on the figure in the entrance of the alleyway who most certainly didn't belong there.

"Erza?"

She didn't say anything, not at first. The redhead replaced the lid to it's rightful trashcan and walked over to the ladder that would lead her up the fire escape to him. Her boots sounded like thunder on the platform.

"You shouldn't be here," he told her, turning back to his canvas. He shook the spray-can even though it was already prepared; he just needed an excuse to keep his hands busy so he wouldn't be so jittery. "You know the fumes make you sick."

"Possibly," the older girl mused softly, sitting on the edge with her legs dangling through the railing, "but arguing with a friend makes me feel even worse."

"Stop being mushy, you know I hate that stuff."

"What," she snorted, "feelings?"

She wasn't looking at him to see his glower, but something told Natsu that she wouldn't have cared for it either way.

"I really am sorry for the other night," she said, finally admitting to why she was there. "I'd been worried about you that entire afternoon, only to find out it was over nothing other than that new girl-"

"Lucy," he chimed in, for a reason unbeknownst to him. Natsu frowned to himself, missing the brow that his friend quirked at this.

"Lucy," she nodded. "But still, I know that Wendy is a sensitive subject for you. Understandably so, seeing as how the wound probably still feels fresh." Natsu rubbed at his knuckles, feeling the band-aids there that protected his scraped skin. One of them was of Hello-Kitty. "I'm sorry that I brought her name up the way I did."

The only sound in the alley was the metallic _ting_ of the spray-can bottle as Natsu continued to shake.

"Don't be," he finally sighed, using two fingers to remove the ventilator so that it now hung around his neck. He slid down with his back against the railing, facing the wall with his art while Erza sat in the other direction. "Just because she isn't around anymore doesn't mean..."

"I know," she said, resting a hand on his shoulder. She squeezed once for reassurance, but it felt weak. "You'll get her back, Natsu. She isn't gone forever."

"No," he agreed, "I know that. It's just the time in-between that scares me."

A crack of thunder boomed overhead, and this time the sound had nothing to do with Erza's boots.

 _Even the sky misses her,_ Natsu thought to himself, as he would never dare say the words aloud. Still though, the mental imagery of the sky crying for someone that even it couldn't find...

The boy's fingers itched for paper and a pencil as inspiration for his next piece hit him like a strike of lightening.

* * *

Her earphones were a tangled mess and her earring kept getting caught in the loose strands of hair that fell from the hairband, but Lucy refused to give up her search. The wind was brutal that day and made it hard for her to even keep her eyes open half the time-the news had warned of a serious storm coming off of the coast-but she'd been living in Magnolia for nearly a week now and had yet to document a single piece done by the Salamander.

Sure, she'd seen plenty of the person's work online, documented on the blog she frequented, but it wasn't the same if the end result wasn't coming from _her_ camera lens.

So she continued her trek, wondering if her search should broaden to the Old City.

The Old City was a small district that had been the original "downtown" area back during Magnolia's founding. It now mostly consisted of crumbling remnants of once bustling storefronts with the occasional, cozy coffee shop tucked into a corner street. It seemed like the perfect place for an artist who wished to stay anonymous, as many people didn't often frequent the Old City. Which Lucy found a little strange, the longer she thought about it.

The girl hugged her jacket closer to her chest, keeping it closed with one clenched fist as she walked against the wind.

 _Why go through the trouble of creating public art if it wasn't meant to be viewed by everyone?_ she had wondered, the question leaving her tossing and turning at night in her purple sheets. Lucy Heartfilia wasn't one who often failed, but as her search kept leaving her returning to her apartment each night with little to show for?...

Storm be damned, today would be the day she found evidence of this 'anonymous.' The Salamander's work belonged on her camera roll and in her collection; she already prized it though she had no idea what it would be.

A crack of thunder sounded out from overhead, causing the girl to jump when a stray darted out from beneath a dumpster. The small pup was young and shivering awfully in the crisp chill, shaking as it cowered into a tiny ball at the sight of the girl. It's tail tucked tightly between it's legs as it whimpered caused the girl's heart to contract painfully.

"Hey little guy," she cooed softly, bending down slowly, as to not startle that already _very_ startled pup. "It's okay."

It yelped when she took a small step towards it, but didn't move away.

"That's right, it'll be okay, baby." she continued to try and soothe the stray as she dug around in her purse for the granola bar that she had passed up at lunch. Sure, it probably wasn't the best thing to give to a dog, but the little guy looked like he hadn't eaten in days. She was sure he wouldn't mind the raisins.

Another crack of thunder sounded out then, and it turned out that the granola bar wouldn't need to come into play after all.

"Oh oh oh," Lucy said, now _her_ turn to be surprised as the pooch raced into her arms. She wrinkled her nose at the smell emitting from it's coat, but it was nothing a bath and some baby shampoo couldn't fix.

"You're okay now, baby," she murmured, standing up with a sigh of relief. That stance had been killer on her back. She quickly adjusted her camera, pulling the strap from around her neck with one hand so that she could- _carefully_ -tuck it into her purse. She hugged the still-crying pup close to her chest, rocking it gently as she turned to walk out of the mouth of the alleyway when a flash of orange caught her eye.

Slowly, she looked up to see a sight that stole her breath; it felt as if the the oxygen from her lungs was leaving her in an upward motion that mimicked the path of the river water that seemed to trail upstream along the chipped bricks of the old convenience store.

 _Koi fish,_ she recognized the familiar markings that made the fish so iconic. But the artist had been meticulous with their effort in detail, Lucy noted, ignoring the ache in her neck as she continued to gaze up. It was if the fish belonged on the wall in its-literal-sea of color.

"Wow," she breathed, her fingers yearning for her camera. She was at a loss for words long before her eyes finally drifted to the lower left-hand corner where the water trailed off, and then the young photographer really did go into a state of shock.

Her eyes widened to the size of the saucers her mother used to put out on every major holiday.

 _Salamander_.

She'd found him.

* * *

 **Until Next Time** ( _aka tomorrow_ )

p.s. I would love to hear your all's thoughts on this story!


	6. Drown Me in a Water Fountain

**a/n: sorry guys, i lost my streak due to school and sports): hopefully i can start getting back on track now. This one is a little shorter just until I get back into the swing of things. Expect another tomorrow(;**

 **disclaimer: I continue to own nothin' and I continue to be sad about it**

* * *

" _Damn it_." A fountain of curses spewed from the girl's mouth as the contents of her locker fell onto the linoleum at her feet, her chem book just narrowly avoiding crushing her toes of her boots.

 _That's what you get for stuffing everything in before lunch,_ she berated herself as she watched a lingering folder fall from the shelf, dangling at the very edge before it too joined the masses just as the bell rang—signaling the beginning of class.

She took a step forward—over her chem book—and pressed her forehead to the cool metal of the locker door, resisting the urge to break down in frustrated tears. "I'm gonna drown myself in the water fountain."

"Wouldn't suggest that," came an unfamiliar voice to the girl's left. She rolled her head against the locker door to see who was joining her—after all, misery loved company.

"Why?" she huffed, staring back down at the ground where her books were toppled and pencils scattered. "Seems like the best option right now."

The boy laughed and from the corner of the girl's eye she could see him run a hand through his dark, shaggy hair. He was pale, she noted from the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt underneath his open jacket.

She would point it out, but he probably already knew.

"Where ya headed?" he asked her, surprising Lucy by bending down to start organizing her things in a small pile. Lucy was startled to see that a girl with vibrant blue hair had been standing behind the boy, and was currently glaring at the blonde like she had some personal vendetta against her.

Lucy felt as though she should apologize to the girl for whatever she did that warranted such a dirty look, even though she was positive they'd never met before.

"Upstairs," she replied slowly, refocusing on the boy now as he reached by her feet for that damn chem book. "Except now I'm late because I'm an idiot."

"Happens to the best of us," he shrugged, flashing her a grin. "I'm Gray." Lifting his chin, he indicated towards the glowering girl. "And that ray of sunshine over there is J."

"Nice to meet you," Lucy tried smiling at the girl, hoping to start off on a good note. "I'm Lucy."

"Love rival," J mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest as she continued glaring.

Lucy nodded slowly, retracting her hand while silently wondering what the hell that even meant.

"Haven't seen you around before," Gray said casually as he stood, her things in a haphazard pile in his arms. "You new?"

"Just transferred here last week," she replied, struggling under the weight of four textbooks. Gray noticed this and helped her out once again, much to the other girl's chagrin. He took one book at a time and placed them on the shelf of her locker, waiting for her to continue.

"My dad moves around a lot," she shrugged. "Magnolia was just the next stop on the way."

"The way to what?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"Fair enough, new girl."

"It's Lucy," she corrected automatically, used to having to correct the kids at her old schools. Moving around so much had all but branded her as the ever-permanent 'new girl', which to the aspiring English major felt oddly like an oxymoron.

Gray just smirked coyly, "You're gonna have to stick around a little longer than that before you get nickname privileges, _New Girl_."

He offered a two-finger salute once her things were returned to their rightful place, his way of saying goodbye as the girl he'd called J trailed after him. If looks could kill then that girl would have already sent Lucy six feet under.

* * *

Natsu couldn't keep his eyes off the analog on the wall, conveniently positioned right above the door where the boy was failing to convince himself that he wasn't watching like a hawk.

She was late.

Or absent.

He frowned to himself, ignoring the workseet on his desk as he turned to stare out the window. His sketch lay off to the side, hidden beneath his binder. The teacher was droning on and on as the rest of the class had better things to do, but Natsu was busy ignoring the churning feeling in his gut.

Why did he feel disappointed?

His phone buzzed in his pocket. Natsu, oblivious to the dirty look that his teacher was sending him, unlocked the home screen to see a text from Gray.

 _She's cute man. I can see the appeal._

 _Don't know what you're talkin' bout._

 _New girl, with the braid? Better keep a better eye on her, I can't always be her knight in shining armor(;_

 _What the fuck does that mean_

But there was no reply, which elicited a glare from the street artist.

 _Gray, you icy bastard, wtf_

 _I'm just saying... keep her away from the water fountains lol_

A divot appeared between the boy's brows as he frowned down at his phone, processing the boy's words. Water fountains?

What the hell did that mean?

* * *

 **Until Next Time** ( _aka tomorrow_ )

p.s. I would love to hear your all's thoughts on this story!


	7. Wishing for a Penny and a Fountain

**a/n: lost my laptop charger for a few days but back at it again! currently on spring break and crossing fingers for more frequent updates(; to make up for my absence, here is a chapter with pure Nalu interaction!**

 **also, sidenote, someone reviewed and left a comment that was quite possibly my favorite review of all time on any of my stories ever. They said the tone of Ink-Stained Skin reminded them of "one of those beautiful tumblr aesthetics" and honestly? As weird as it sounds that was kind of what I was going for when I initially made this fic a thing. So thank you so much! And thank you to everyone else who has reviewed so far! You really don't know how much I appreciate the feedback. It honestly keeps me going. Writing is all about self-expression, sure, but it's also nice knowing what the people think of your work too(;**

 **disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

The boy sighed, a string of curses on the tip of his tongue as he stepped out into the courtyard after last bell.

Magnolia's surprisingly sunny day had most of the kids loitering out on the courtyard, packed in with their cliques and making it hard for the the street artist to zero in on his target.

That icy bastard's pale skin should be acting like a spot-light, but there was no shirtless boy around.

Natsu wanted to know what his friend's cryptic text messages meant, and when he'd stopped responding the most obvious thing to do would be to ask in person. Plus, the boy smirked, he always happened to be more... _persuasive_ , in person.

He curled the hand that wasn't holding onto his bag in a loose fist, ready to work off some pent-up frustration in a good brawl with Gray. It'd been a while since they'd really gone at it.

With his backpack slung over only one shoulder, he stepped out to brave the masses, maneuvering his way through the maze of Magnolia High students that he only sometimes associated with. As he was passing the large oak tree near the center of the yard, he and someone else roughly knocked shoulders. Natsu turned on his heel to give the wise-guy a piece of what Gray had comin', but stopped short.

It wasn't a _guy_ that was facing Natsu with hands on hips, eyebrows drawn together in a pissy fashion.

It was Lucy.

As if a wire had suddenly short-circuited in the teen's mind, he just stood there dumbly. All aggression suddenly evaporated, just like Magnolia's bad weather from the night before. Natsu just stood there, blankly... speechless.

 _Say_ something _, you moron._

"You weren't in class today."

 _Could you be more of a shit head right now,_ _Dragneel? Seriously, what the hell was that?_

Lucy only nodded once in response to this. "I was running super late to class, so I just ducked into the library instead."

"Running late, how?"

A small grin pulled at the corner of the girl's glossed lips, but it wasn't meant for him. He could tell by the faraway look in those brown eyes of hers as she said, "Nothing. Just had to deny a date with a water fountain."

Natsu blinked. "I'm not even going to pretend to process that."

"Probably for the best."

The girl standing in front of his wasn't the same girl Natsu knew from class. This one could look him in the eye and answer him with a little snark. It was amusing.

Natsu wondered if her newfound confidence had anything to do with the camera around her neck.

It was the same way for him when he was around his canvases, armed and ready with his arsenal of paints.

He figured he wouldn't point it out, however. It was rude to point out someone's safety blanket, because most of the time, that same object proved to also be the person's kryptonite.

He must of had a dumb look on his face, or let the silence between them drag on for too long, because he was suddenly drawn from his thoughts by her pointing her finger at him.

"I like your jacket," she said, that same grin gracing her features. Except this time, it _was_ for him. "Can I call you Zuko now?"

Natsu spared a glance at the leather, feeling himself revert to his playboy demeanor before he could consciously figure out what was about to come out of his mouth. He smirked, showing off the sharp canines that Erza was constantly giving him shit for.

"Depends. Only if I can call you Sandy."

"Only if 'Sandy' sounds like 'Lucy,'" she winked- _God_ , did he love the sight of that-stepping around him in the direction of the parking lot. "See ya around."

"Wait," he said before he could help it. Internally he could feel himself freeze up. _Wait for what?_ Even he didn't know.

"Sorry," she called over her shoulder, if anything picking up the pace. "I'm already late getting downtown!"

"What is there to do downtown?" he wondered, not realizing he'd said it aloud.

"Lots!" she laughed, signaling once to her camera before a group of guys from the basketball team cut in front of their path, and when they'd finally all passed-leaving the scent of sweat and Old Spice in their path-Lucy was gone.

Natsu wondered what is was that was so special, and what could only be found downtown. What was it that was so great to the girl and her camera?

He jostled his bag in an act of frustration, ignoring the rattling of his paint cans as he did so.

The boy wished he had a penny and fountain, so that he could wish for an answer.

* * *

 **Until Next Time** ( _aka tomorrow_ )

p.s. I would love to hear your all's thoughts on this story!


	8. This Town and it's Hair Colors

**a/n: i'm ever so slowly getting back into the swing of things. please be patient with me. i'm so thankful for the feedback i've received on this fic so far and i can't ever thank you all enough. happy summer**

disclaimer: I own nothing

* * *

Lucy closed her eyes tight, breathing in deep through her nose as she tugged on both ends of her braids. Her conversation with Natsu was playing on repeat in her head as she bobbed and weaved her way through the hustle and bustle of Magnolia's downtown area.

"You idiot," she groaned softly to herself, just barely dodging a hot dog cart whose owner gave her a dirty look when her camera bag nearly clipped the ketchup container. " _'Can I call you Zuko now?_ ' Could I _sound_ anymore like an idiot? I _winked_ at him for God's sakes!"

A moment of secondhand embarrassment washed over the girl so quickly she paused right then and there on the sidewalk, clenching her eyes shut and pulling a little extra hard on her braids.

"No wonder you suck at making friends," she mumbled softly once the moment had passed.

"Actually," said a voice from behind her, "I think that's probably more to do with the fact you keep talking to yourself."

Lucy whipped around, her camera thumping heavily on her chest as it swung on its cord around her neck. She took one look at the petite girl in front of her and grinned, cocking her head to the side ever so slightly.

"What is it with this town and it's off-the-wall hair colors?"

* * *

He kicked the front door open, not bothering to have locked it before leaving for school that morning. Natsu deposited his bag of paint cans on the couch, his muscles sighing in relief at having dropped the heavy weight. His latest piece was nowhere near finished but he was done for the night.

Street art was his craft, but lately he'd felt his inspiration, his motive, slipping away despite his incessant need for its form of escape.

His tired eyes drifted towards the telephone hooked on the wall, the cord to it wound tight from its lack of use in the previous months.

They still had yet to call, breaking their promise that they'd keep him informed.

The teen rubbed a hand down his face, slapping his cheeks once to keep his mind from drifting to a place even darker than the street outside. His phone buzzed twice in his pocket signaling a new text, but he ignored it for the time being. A text didn't hold the information that he so desperately wanted to hear at the moment.

He tossed his keys onto the counter and glanced once at the fridge before opting to skip dinner that night, not feeling like going through the motions. His stomach was twisted into knots, but it wasn't something a bowl of cereal could fix.

The house was comprised of many square-feet, but the current silence was deafening.

The wooden floorboards missed the creaking of tiny feet padding down the hall.

Natsu needed to get his shit together, he knew that. Erza was a constant thorn in his side about throwing job applications his way.

"It's the only way," she'd say. "You know that. They don't give a shit about what you can paint on a wall. You need income."

Natsu threw himself down on his unmade bed, the sheets still folded and crumpled from that morning when he'd thrown them off in his haste to get out the door on time.

He hated being alone, but there wasn't much he could do to change that anytime soon.

Turning over on his side, mindful of his bandaged tattoo, Natsu swiped a discarded pillow that had fallen to the floor.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled softly to the empty room, for no real reason that even he could make out. For whatever reason, it just felt right.

Natsu hated being alone.

He turned on Track 7.


	9. Saturday Morning Comes Knockin'

**a/n: currently on the road but still trying to update when I can!**

 **someone commented on the last update and said, "you didn't say you'd see us tomorrow..." and it simultaneously made me laugh but also kinda hurt my heart because I felt like the aunt that comes over and tells fun stories to her nieces and nephews and then one of the little kids looks up as she's leaving with tiny tears collecting in their eyes, full on puppy-dog-mode, and whimpers, "you didn't say you'd see us tomorrow." hahaha I know I'm laughing but honestly I think that review is the only reason there is a for-sure update today. Not that this will always happen or anything because I'm in the transition of finding a job and starting college so there will be times when I'm really too busy, but that comment was just too cute to be ignored. Therefore you can thank LavenderMoonRose for today's update, haha**

 **also longest chapter yet, coincidentally.**

disclaimer: I own nothing

* * *

His Saturday morning started with a knock on the door.

Natsu placed his bowl in the sink, wincing at the loud clash the ceramic made when he set it down a little too hard. He tossed the plastic spoon in the trash on his way to the front door, not bothering to put on a shirt as he padded over and opened it without bothering with the peephole.

"Whatcha want-oh, hey."

Gray raised a brow at boy's bare chest from where he stood on the front stoop. "Could you put on a shirt? You're making me uncomfortable."

Natsu didn't even bother trying to hide his snort as he scratched at the bandage that needed changing. "You've _gotta_ be joking."

Gray just smirked, clapping his friend on the shoulder as he stepped around Natsu and let himself in.

The raven-haired boy made himself at home in the living room, sauntering over the the couch and relaxing with his feet up on the coffee table. Which is exactly where Natsu found him moments later when he reemerged from the laundry room after tugging a shirt over his messy bedhead. He took one look at the Russian Blue feline in Gray's lap and flipped them both the bird.

"Traitor," he said, to which he could have _sworn_ Happy started purring louder than before.

With Gray, words weren't a thing that were always... necessary. Sometimes having a moody friend really came with it's perks, even if the guy could be a real bastard at times. Natsu swiped one controller from the coffee table and had to dig around in the cushions for the other, but they were soon on their way into a regular weekend tournament that'd been a tradition since they were kids.

It wasn't until halfway through the third wave of zombies when Natsu remembered Gray's text from earlier that week, to which he'd never received a full explanation. He glanced at the boy out of the corner of his eye, figuring now was as good a time as any.

"Oi."

"The answer is no."

"You don't even know what I'm 'bout to say!"

"You're about to say that you know you suck at this game and ask if I'd be courteous enough to come back for your dumbass when you go down for the hundredth time." Gray smirked, his eyes never leaving the screen. "And the answer is no."

"You're lucky you've got Happy on ya right now," Natsu mock-threatened, holding up one of the couch's pillows.

Gray snorted, "Why do you think he's on my lap to begin with?"

They fell back into companionable silence until the next wave ended and Natsu was busy sorting through the gun rotation, and Gray finally asked what Natsu really meant.

"Oh, uh, nothin'. Forget it."

"You were gonna ask about the text, weren't ya?"

"Don't act like you know everything."

"Who says I'm acting?"

"You're a real bastard sometimes, ya know that?"

"Am I wrong about the text?"

"...no."

Not bothering to pause the game, Gray waited silently for Natsu to voice his question that they both knew had been bugging the salmon-haired boy since he'd opened the text.

Trying not to sound like he was bothered, he might've actually sounded a little _too_ casual when he finally selected his character's gun and asked, "Why'd you basically call yourself her Prince Charming?"

Gray snorted, "And here I was thinking you were gonna ask about the water fountain thing."

"What water fountain?"

"Forget it," Natsu heard the smirk in his voice. "I can tell you're more bothered by the first thing. Probably didn't even process the texts after that, huh?"

Gray was messing with him, but damn did he get under his skin fast. And he knew it, too.

For the first time, Gray paused the game and reclined on the cushion while Natsu let out a string of curses because _damn it they were on their way to breaking their own record and this was killing the momentum._

"What the hell you do that for?" he asked, dropping his controller to his lap in annoyance. Gray just grinned and scratched Happy under the chin.

"What is it about New Girl that's got you so weird?" he asked, obviously enjoying himself.

"Don't know what you mean."

"Is it the hair? You got a thing for ponytails?"

"She wears braids."

Gray laughed at that, earning himself a glare from his friend. "Yeah," he said, the chuckle causing his voice to remain light. " _I_ know that, I just didn't know you stared at the same girl long enough to notice."

Natsu groaned at the implication that he was a player. He threw himself back on the sofa and let his head loll on the cushion. "You sound like Erza."

"Are you pouting?"

"You wish."

"J thinks she's pretty. We ran into New Girl in the hall the other day at school."

Natsu snorted at that, almost feeling sorry for Lucy that her first time meeting Juvia had to be when Gray was also around. Juvia was a super cool girl, and was really sweet when ya gave her a chance. However, the girl was known to be a little... eccentric, especially when it came to anything involving a certain Fullbuster. The two weren't dating, but everyone knew it was only a matter of time. Except for maybe Gray.

"J about eat her alive?"

"I don't think New Girl was too fazed by it."

"Why do ya keep calling her that?"

Gray blinked, as though only just now noticing that he'd been doing it. " _Lucy_ , my bad. I gave her a hard time about her name in the hall and I guess it stuck. Should've seen it dude, everything in her locker was on the ground when J and I got there."

"Her locker in the east wing?"

"East wing," Gray confirmed, to which they both gave a sympathetic wince. Everyone knew the lockers in the east wing were shit, since they were the only set that hadn't been renovated with the rest of the school back before their freshman year.

Gray checked his watch and gave Happy one last rub between the ears before standing.

"Headin' out already?"

"I was gonna swing by Gajeel's place. He's getting another piercing today at Saber."

Natsu ran his hand from Happy's ears all the way down to his tail. "And you're tagging along _because_...?"

"Thinking of gettin' a tattoo, but I'm not sure yet. Whatever it is, it definitely won't be as extravagant as whatever the hell _you've_ been hiding for the last two years."

Natsu scratched at his bandage, somewhat smug that only he-and those employed at Saber-knew what his arm looked like.

Gray slipped on his shoes. "Wanna come with?"

"Nah, think I'm gonna clean up a little. Probably just stick around the house today."

"Suit yourself. The rest of us are meeting up at the Guild later for drinks. I assume you'll be there."

"Are you promoting underage drinking?"

"So I'll see you at seven, then." It wasn't a question.

"See ya at seven."

* * *

 **until next time... (which I'm actually getting more and more excited for because Wendy backstory coming soon!)**


	10. Snow Fairy

**a/n: GUESS WHO GOT HER FIRST JOB AND IS SLOWLY LEARNING THE WAYS OF THE ADULT WORLD ONE CRIPPLING REALIZATION AT TIME (okay, i'm being a touch dramatic. it's really not that bad... it's not like I got a ton of sleep in the first place, considering I'm** **constantly writing pic and have been ever since middle school, lol). ANYWAYS, the next 3-4 chapters are already lined and ready for me to color in (and maybe a little outside?) the lines, so let's hope the updates keep rolling themselves out the next couple of days! Happy reading, you guys! (also, a little homage to the** **early fairy tail days is found somewhere in this chapter *wink wink*)**

disclaimer: I own nothing

* * *

Lucy tapped the edges of her phone nervously as she checked the GPS on her phone for the umpteenth time.

The girl that had stopped her the day before in the street had introduced herself as Levy, and the two had walked around downtown together for a bit since Lucy had supposedly 'looked liked she needed a friendly face.'

Granted, she _had_ been freaking out a little about the whole Natsu situation, but the blonde didn't think she'd looked _that_ out of place.

Levy, apparently, hadn't agreed.

Lucy had wondered aloud about the girl's bright blue hair, and her comment made Levy laugh as she ran her fingers through her short curls.

"Oh _sure_ ," she'd teased the blushing blonde. "Ask the strange girl about her blue hair. But no questions asked when it's a hot guy sporting the color _pink_!"

Lucy had hid her face behind her hands, struggling not to laugh before Levy asked about the heavy camera that was swinging around Lucy's neck.

"I move around a lot," Lucy shrugged, trying to think on her toes. "I take pictures so that I'll know a friendly face wherever I go." She picked the camera up, showing off her chipped nail polish as she snapped a picture of Levy before the girl could compose herself.

She wasn't entirely sure why she didn't just tell the truth about her graffiti habit, seeing as how Levy was a local and probably knew some killer spots, but something about it just felt too... personal. There were some things that she needed to do on her own.

Levy bugged her for a while to see the picture to know if it was worthy of keeping or deleting- _at least get my good side! I wasn't ready yet!_ -but Lucy was relentless.

"Nope, not until development," she'd grinned, letting the camera fall back gently against her chest.

"Come on, there's gotta be _some_ loophole."

Lucy drummed her fingers against the denim covering her thighs, thinking. "Alright," she finally relented. "If you can show me a good bakery where I can get a decent lunch, I'll let you see the picture."

Levy's eyes lit up, as though a lightbulb had suddenly gone off in her head at the girl's request. A slowly-formed grin pulled at the corners of her lips, making Lucy nervous. "I can do you one better! Let me see your phone."

Lucy yelped as Levy didn't wait for Lucy to hand her the cell, and instead reached behind the girl and pulled it from her back pocket.

"Passcode?" she asked.

"777.." Lucy responded warily, "What are you doing?"

Levy frowned as if it were obvious. "I'm putting my number in your phone."

"Oh," Lucy felt her cheeks warm again. She hated moments like these, where she found herself coming face to face with the reality that she still wasn't well adjusted with kids her age. She had no one else to blame but her father's business for that, either. It was hard to learn social cues when bouncing from city to city, state to state.

Levy noticed the girl's flushed cheeks, and gave her a small grin while handing her back her phone. "I put my number in there and just now texted myself," she said, and right on cue there was a tiny bell sounding off from the girl's pocket. "I have to head soon because I'm actually down here to meet my boyfriend, but a bunch of my friends are meeting up tomorrow night at the Guild. I'll text you," she said, tapping Lucy's phone.

"I'll send you the address," she continued when Lucy didn't offer a response. Levy smiled softly, giving the other girl's hand a light squeeze. "Seriously, you should come. I think you'd have fun. My hair might be blue, but my friends don't bite."

And after having an entire twenty-four hours to go over every possible scenario in her head, Lucy looked up once again at the Guild's flashing sign and realized she hadn't gone over _every_ scenario.

Levy had never told her that the Guild was a _bar_.

Pulling her jacket tighter around her as she stood with her feet planted on the sidewalk, Lucy sighed. She shifted her weight, but still her feet stayed.

She wanted to walk in, she really did. Before she had arrived, Lucy wasn't sure if she actually wanted to go through a night of embarrassing herself before-possibly, no guarantee-becoming comfortable with Levy's friends. Now that the opportunity seemed impossible, she realized that she'd wanted the night more than she'd thought.

But there was no way that was going to happen now. There was no way she could go into a bar.

The night was a bust, and Levy would surely never want to talk to her again after Lucy ended up being a no show.

Without really knowing why, Lucy found herself wishing she'd brought her camera. She felt naked without it, standing on the sidewalk with nothing to fiddle with but her bracelet with the _Fairy Tail_ emblem.

"' _Hey fairy,'_ " she mumbled softly to herself, wondering if the familiar lyrics could at least provide some sense of comfort as she struggled with a solution. She bounced a little on her toes to keep warm. " _'Where you going? I'm trying to assemble all this light. I'll shine it down and make tomorrow bright-'_ "

"Lucy?"

The blonde whipped around, praying that she hadn't been mumbling the lyrics loud enough for him to hear. She'd already recognized the voice. " _Natsu_?"

He was standing with his hands in his pockets, head tilted slightly to the side in a way that caused his bangs to fall in his eyes. Eyes that were, she noticed, zeroing in on her bracelet.

"What are you doing here?" they asked at the same time, their voices falling together in unison.

Natsu cracked a small grin while Lucy felt her cheeks warm up, and the girl found herself wanted to reach forward on the tips of her toes and brush the bangs to the side. If only to get a look at his eyes up close, but she stayed where she was.

The boy was just trying his hardest not to fall into his normal pattern. He didn't want to let a comment slip that would send a girl like Lucy running in the other direction. Natsu found himself actually wanting to get to know this one.

Unbeknownst to the other, Track 7's lyrics were playing on loop in both the teenagers' heads.

* * *

 **until next time... (GET READY FOR SOME HEAVY NALU CHAPTERS COMIN UR WAY AND LUCY GETTING CURIOUS ABOUT A CERTAIN BACKSTORY)**


	11. A Little Self-Discovery (Long Overdue)

**a/n:** this took so much longer than it should have, i'm embarrassed. please do not hate me friends. i'll try not to take so long on the next one! thank you so much for the support on this story so far, you have no idea just how much it means to me to have people read my work and give feedback. I never could have imagined this just a few years ago, having the courage to actually post my writing online for others to read. Now look at me. Posting (albeit very very slowly at times, lol). Regardless, I'm pretty darn happy.

 **disclaimer:** I own nothing

* * *

 _Darling so it goes_  
 _Some things are meant to be_  
 _Take my hand, take my whole life too_  
 _For I can't help falling in love with you_

Natsu couldn't fucking _breathe-_ too afraid of saying something stupid as he led Lucy carefully through the crowded bar.

He swallowed hard while trying to dissolve some of his nerves, but the blaring music was doing little to drive down the adrenaline flooding his system. Keeping his hand on her back, he helped to steer through the crowd, aiming for the direction of his usual table. Part of him wondered if she was okay with the contact, but after some dude had accidentally stumbled into her, he wasn't taking any chances.

He could feel her stiff posture beneath the palm of his hand and through the material of her shirt, and he felt a twinge of guilt that shouldn't have belonged to him. It wasn't as if _he'd_ invited her here... to a place she obviously wasn't comfortable being. It was pretty obvious from her deer-in-the-headlights expression that this wasn't her kind of scene.

It also didn't escape him that she hadn't answered his question from earlier, but he wasn't about to ask again and only fluster her more.

However, even if he couldn't ask _why_ she was there, that didn't mean he couldn't make sure she was _okay_ being there.

Levy's hair wasn't quite in view yet when he pulled Lucy off to the side, away from the bar's usual tenacious activity as people danced in the open space between tables.

"Before we get to the others, I want you to be real with me for a second." he told her, having to bend down slightly to be able to make sure she was looking at him. "Can you do that for me?"

She looked at him for a moment before nodding slowly.

He slid a hand through his hair, looking around as if gesturing to it all. "Are you _sure_ that you're okay will all this? With being here?" he asked. "I mean, who even told you about this place?"

She bit her lip, and the shy action was suddenly rewinding Natsu to the first time he'd ever met her in class. His mind drifted to that damn origami fish that had fallen from his desk and had reappeared with eyes in purple ink. She had been so endearing that day without ever saying a word, and it had made him uncomfortable at the time. Natsu Dragneel wasn't used to having words escape him.

But now, looking down at her as her bottom lip was trapped between her teeth, the way that he couldn't tell if the pink flush of color on her cheeks was makeup or a true blush... God, something about this girl. Natsu all but accepted his fate right there on the spot.

She dropped his gaze as she slipped up onto her tiptoes to try and see over the crowd, seemingly not aware that she had grasped his arm as leverage as she scanned the sea of faces. "Uh, I met her downtown yesterday. She goes to our school, I think. She seemed to know you."

There went Natsu's lovestruck high in one fatal swoop.

 _Oh God oh God oh God..._ Every bone in his body was screaming _abort mission_. If all Lucy had to go on was ' _she goes to our school'_ and ' _I think she knows you,'_ then Natsu was treading in dangerous waters. His stupid tendencies with girls could cost him the night with Lucy before it even really began.

He chuckled, hoping his nerves weren't showing as he tried to play it cool. "You, uh," he coughed into a fist as he avoided her eyes, "have anything else to go off there? I mean, my hair's _pink_... Kinda sticks with ya, heh. People tend to know me from somewhere or other."

Lucy cocked a brow at that. "She said her name was Levy."

Natsu breathed an audible sigh of relief before quickly trying to cover it up with another cough. "Geez," he smirked, suddenly feeling brave at this bit of information as he slid his arm around her shoulders. "In that case, follow me."

* * *

Lucy wanted to disappear, wondering why she ever thought this would be good idea.

Natsu's arm was warm around her shoulders as he continued walking towards the back corner of the bar, and the course material of his bandage was rubbing along the free skin that her sleeves didn't cover and creating goosebumps along her arms.

While it had sparked a short second of relief in her when Natsu seemed to recognize Levy's name, it had also created a whole new list of worries. If he and the spunky girl she had met downtown yesterday were affiliated, then that meant that Lucy had unknowingly agreed to meet up with _Natsu's_ friends.

What if he realized this and didn't believe in coincidences? What if he really believed it was something Lucy had cooked up on her own and served only to have the contents come back and burn her? _Badly_?

Nerves were causing her to become tense, which Natsu could no doubt feel if he was paying any attention at all.

"Oi, Pretty Boy's here to join the party!"

Lucy didn't quite understand the sudden downturn of Natsu's mouth until she spotted that familiar head of blue curls.

"Levy," she breathed in a sigh of relief as the girl turned her gaze on her. Lucy could feel the blush creeping in as she saw the girl struggle to hide her knowing look at Natsu's arm around Lucy's shoulders. The redhead beside her in the booth was throwing Natsu a dirty look for some reason, but Lucy ducked her eyes and slipped from the boy's hold before she could be the reason behind it.

She struggled to find a familiar face amongst the six people crowded together around one table, and the first one she saw wasn't one that had exactly been pleasant. "Uh, h-hey, Juvia. I love what you've done with your hair," Lucy said as she stuttered through the compliment, and she meant it. Since the last time they'd seen each other, the girl had dyed strands of her cobalt blue locks with added streaks of green that gave the girl a mermaid-like appearance.

Juvia was also witness to her and Natsu's close proximity and must have immediately made the connection that she wasn't the so-called "love rival" that she had called Lucy that day in the halls. She ran a hand through her new hair, smiling politely in thanks from across the table where Lucy was still standing.

A large man with many, countless piercings who was sitting on Levy's other side raised his beer at Natsu. "Pretty Boy!" he said, repeating the nickname again as he sloshed his drink around. "About time you showed up."

"Damn it," Natsu muttered as the group shifted around to make room for him and Lucy. "I hate when Gajeel gets drunk."

"Why?" Lucy murmured in response, thanking Gray as she sat down between him and Natsu.

"He calls everyone embarrassing nicknames when he's had a couple," the boy grumbled, glaring across the table at the man in question.

Levy rolled her eyes and said, "Tell me about it."

Gajeel gaped at her, quickly engulfing her in a huge hug as he unnecessarily shouted to be heard over the music playing. "Shrimp, you're wounding me. Are you saying you don't like to be called Shrimp?"

"I don't like to be called Shrimp."

"Shrimp! Shrimp say no more, my heart can't take it."

"Tell your heart to-"

" _Shrimp_!"

Natsu leaned down close so that his lips were right at her ear, words warm against her skin as he said, "Drunk Gajeel is honestly the worst. Sober, he's the toughest-looking S.O.B. you'll ever meet. Teddy bear only on the _inside_. However, give him a few beers and," Natsu trailed off, lifting his chin to indicate towards the large man who was begging a tiny Levy to take him back.

"We never broke up!"

"You saying you don't like Shrimp was all I needed!"

Lucy hid her grin behind her hand as she took in the scene.

Gray was in deep conversation with a young man with hair a darker shade than either Juvia or Levy's, a red mark on his face that Lucy wasn't sure was a birthmark or some kind of tattoo. She smiled softly when she saw Gray lift his arm to rest on the back of the bench, and the way that Juvia ever so slightly shifted closer as she played a game on her phone.

Gajeel was still sloshing his drink around and getting drops of it on Levy's top, much to the girl's chagrin as she struggled to pry the mug from his hand.

"Over my dead body!"

"That can be arranged!"

" _Shrimp_!"

To her right Natsu was speaking in low tones to the redhead, the two of them deep in conversation about something Lucy couldn't quite catch. The other girl still didn't look exactly happy, but her features had softened considerably since they'd arrived. It seemed as if she was listening to Natsu explain something or other, not that Lucy could even begin to guess what the something was.

She shifted in her seat, not quite sure where she belonged just yet at the table as everyone was preoccupied with their own thing. Then she felt Natsu's hand find hers under the table, giving her a soft squeeze that she assumed was supposed to be reassuring.

Which it was, in a way, but in another...

Her heart was going crazy, beating like a hummingbird's wings in her chest.

But still, she found herself squeezing back beneath the table.

* * *

 **until next time...**


	12. Salamander, Salamader, What Do You See?

**a/n:** **so sorry for the long wait you guys, but I have exciting news! the reason this has taken a little bit of a backseat lately is because I've started working on my very own novel! (granted i've started original stories before, but I really have a good feeling about this one! Keep the name Heston Hale in the back of your minds(; hopefully his time will come). but enough of that, onto what everyone really wants! (myself included, lol). Posting this is a little early happy birthday present to myself (I turn 19 on Friday I am officially an elder).**

 **also, I received a PM recently that I wasn't able to reply back to for some reason, but the message itself concerned me. You guys, if I've ever done or said anything to make you think I'm against you all being yourselves in the reviews, I sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart. Someone messaged me apologizing for guessing what they thought was going to happen in the reviews. They thought I was angry and I am SO so so incredibly sorry to that person and I'm wondering what I did to make them think that. Always feel free to guess away to your heart's content! Message me with any questions you have or if you just feel like talking about the story in general! (once I get the reply kink worked out, lol). I'm always up for talking to anyone who takes time out of their day to read what little old me writes, ya know? I don't want you guys to think that I don't appreciate what you guys do for me. I can spend up to hours or days doing what I love and never feel a second of it passing by, and it feels really, really good knowing I can share it and have people give feedback on it. okay I'm done being sappy, I swear, but I just wanted to give you guys a little thanks for the kind reception you've given this story. It was originally just a little prompt request on tumblr that's now hitting twelve chapters.**

 **disclaimer:** I own nothing

* * *

She felt warm, and she felt bubbly.

It was as if the room had slowly began to tilt off-kilter as the fairy lights hanging above their heads glowed brightly in the otherwise dimly lit bar. The voices around her were a bit muffled, and the conversations were dragging, but she was happy... content.

Before she could help it she felt herself smiling, the rush of blood surging to her face when she felt her head slip to a shoulder where the familiar material of a polyester vest rubbed against her cheek.

"Great, you got her drunk," a voice said, sounding slightly miffed and accusatory to the girl's ears.

"Please, she's tipsy at best."

"It's not our fault you that you didn't tell us New Girl was a lightweight."

"Not a lightweight," she murmured, though it fell on deaf ears. Part of her wondered if she'd even said it at all.

She felt light, and Natsu was warm.

"Shut up, have you looked at her? There's no way this is her typical Friday night."

Friday night... what _was_ her typical Friday night? Her thoughts floated towards her excursions around the city by herself, armed with only her camera.

"Salamander," the name slipped from her lips, and she felt the boy against her tense. So he'd heard _that_.

It took a moment for the girl to realize the table had grown silent. Lucy slowly sat up straight, rubbing at her eyes and not caring that it was probably smudging her mascara.

"What?" she asked, her blissful bubble now in threat of bursting as everyone stared at her. She cocked her head to the side a fraction of an inch, afraid that moving too fast would make her sick. Her eyes raised to meet Natsu's. "What did I say?"

"What _did_ you say?" Gray asked, sounding amused as he looked across the table at her with one brow raised.

Levy smirked into her mug. "Because it _sounded_ like you said Salamander."

Still at a loss, Lucy could do nothing but nod along. "Well, yeah. I've been looking for them for a while now."

No one said anything, just sat grinning while Lucy didn't understand when Natsu choked on his water.

"Why bother?" Gray asked, and when Natsu looked like he was about to interrupt, the pink-haired teen yelped and bent down to rub his shin while shooting a smirking Gajeel a dirty look.

"Um, I guess," she said, a bit flustered as she wondered where to even begin. "I love photography," Lucy found herself smiling at the thought of doing what she loved best. No one ever looked at her photos with the intention of holding them up to the Heartfilia name. Her pictures belonged to her, and only her. She wasn't a Heartfilia when behind the camera. She was just... Lucy.

And she loved that.

"Plus I move around a lot, and graffiti is something that every town has. I've heard about Salamander through a few blogs and tweets I've seen over the past few months, so this was the first time I was actually excited when my father told me where we were moving." Lucy began to tap her fingers on the tabletop. The alcohol flooding her system might've been responsible for making her share more than she normally would, but the attention was still a little nerve-wracking.

Not to mention Natsu, who was sitting stock-still at her side.

"Their work is... I've never seen anything like it. It's so real and original and it tells a _story_."

"A story?"

Lucy paused, surprised as she looked over at Natsu. It was the first time he'd said anything in a while, and the way he was looking at her...

"Yeah," she said slowly, "I've been following it for a while now. At first it was all reds and oranges and warm tones that radiated something bright, and translated amazing over film. But," she frowned, gaze falling to her lap. "I think something happened to them, and not all that long ago either. The fires have turned to water, and the warm tones are now cooler. I think something has happened to Salamander, but I don't know what." she felt herself beginning to blush something fierce when still no one was saying anything.

"Sorry," she said, "I know it sounds stupid-"

"No," Natsu said, staring openly at her. It felt oddly as if he was looking at her as if he'd never seen her before. Had she said something wrong? "It doesn't sound stupid at all."

His gaze was intense when she met it, and she wondered off-handedly if his eyes had always been such a vivid shade of green. He was searching for something, but she couldn't quite tell what.

Or maybe it was just her own eyes playing tricks on her.

Someone cleared their throat, and Lucy quickly snapped her attention back to everyone else.

"I don't exactly know _why_ I'm searching for Salamander," she said, going back to Gray's earlier question. "But I just... I have a lot of respect for their art. It has feeling, but the pieces themselves are kinda hard to find. It's like their tucked away around the city, and it feels like I only ever stumble across one when I need to see it most. And more often than not, it's moments I don't even have my camera on me.

I just wish I knew why they've been so sad recently," she continued, more so wondering aloud now. "It's almost as if the artist from the blog posts is a completely different person from the one whose art I keep coming across. The signature at the bottom _looks_ the same, but I mean, maybe I've been dealing with a copycat..."

"No," mumbled Natsu, who was staring down at the table now. Lucy wondered if she was the only one who heard his tone, and how it sounded tired. Resigned. "He's definitely the same guy."

Lucy stared at him, and for a moment it felt as if everyone else at the table had disappeared. For a short second, it was only the two of them as she wondered why he wouldn't meet her eyes, why he sounded so incredibly... sad.

Then, something dawned on her.

"How do you know Salamander is a guy?"

She jumped when Gray suddenly slammed a hand on the table, leaving behind a generous tip as everyone suddenly jumped to the feet. Chairs scraped against the floor and Gajeel's even toppled over, but the clattering sound was lost in the lively bar.

Levy grabbed her hand and pulled her up so that she was standing on her own two-seriously unsteady-feet.

"This is a night of adventure, Lucy!" the girl said, dragging her towards the front door. "And the night is still young, so it's on to part two!"

Lucy allowed herself to be momentarily drawn in to the excitement of something she hadn't known for a long time, of being whisked away to the unknown by people who she might be able to consider her friends.

She was so caught up in the moment that she didn't see Gray linger behind, missing the hand that fell on Natsu's shoulder. Didn't hear when the shirtless boy gave a little encouragement for him to come along.

"I think it's safe to say it's gonna be a long night, man."

"Yeah," Natsu said, closing his eyes and shaking away the surfacing memories that Lucy's words had brought out of hiding. He tipped back the rest of his glass before standing, clapping Gray's shoulder as they trailed behind the group. "I'd say you're not far off target there."

He stared at the blonde's figure, at her hair that was spilling down her back in long, loose waves. The first day of seeing her in class suddenly flashed in his mind, and he remembered the way she'd made his chest feel tight and stomach turn over during their very first meeting. Without even trying.

Natsu wasn't used to role-reversals. He wasn't used to being on this side of the game, not used to not being the pursuer.

He wasn't sure if he liked it better this way.

* * *

 **until next time...**

 **next chapter preview?**

 _"No way am I drunk enough for_ that _." Natsu heard Lucy say once he and Gray caught up to the others as they hit the street._


	13. Soft Around The Edges

**pairing:** nalu

 **a/n:** *cracks knuckles* alright lets jump back into this one, you guys

 **disclaimer:** I own nothing

* * *

The air outside was crisp and considerably cooler than the warm atmosphere of the bar. The slight chill helped to clear Natsu's mind as he and Gray followed the gang out the front doors of The Guild. The boy clapped a hand on Natsu's shoulder, giving him one good shake that the young man knew was in good favor. Like Levy said before, the night was still young. There was still so much that could be done... _would_ be done, knowing his friends.

Lucy's words were still ringing in his ears, though. Her interpretations of Salamander left him just the slightest bit shaken; to his core, that is.

It begged the question: was he still the same guy that had started when he was sixteen?

"No way am I drunk enough for _that_." Natsu heard Lucy say once he and Gray caught up to the others as they hit the street.

"What are you guys trying to get New Girl to do now?"

Lucy turned to glower at Gray. "It's _Lucy_."

Natsu watched as Gray only smirked and shrugged, his hands pressed into the pockets of his jacket. "Old habits die hard, I guess."

Levy suddenly appeared, wrapping her arm around the blonde's and already pulling her along the sidewalk as she started her explanation. "Tattoo parlor!" she called, laughing over her shoulder as she took off in a run with Lucy in tow.

The blonde turned and looked over her shoulder, her eyes finding Natsu's and widening. _Help_ , she mouthed.

But Natsu knew that there was no stopping Levy once she had an idea in that head of hers, so he followed the pack of drunken teens as they hurried after the two girls making a beeline for the tattoo parlor a few streets over.

"But I hate needles!" he heard Lucy whine from a ways up ahead, and he found himself grinning despite it all.

* * *

Sting clapped Natsu on the shoulder as a means of welcome as he entered the parlor, grinning widely at the sight of the gang's newest addition.

"Well hello there, beautiful" he said, slipping around Natsu to sidle up beside an unsuspecting Lucy. "I'm-"

"Nope," Levy answered before Natsu had the chance to step in. "No time for embarrassing Sting introductions. I have a spot on my hip that is _begging_ for some ink."

"Babe," said a drunk Gajeel from somewhere in the crowd of teenagers. " _Please_ tell me you're getting what I think you're getting."

Levy dropped her hold on the blonde's arm to swivel around and glare at the top of her boyfriend's head that was thrown back in pure elation. "I swear to God _,_ Gajeel _,_ if you think I'm about to get a shrimp tattooed _anywhere_ on my body-"

" _It could be our_ thing!"

Natsu snorted in amusement, using the couple's drunken argument as a diversion to slip Lucy away from the rest of the group.

He led her farther into the parlor, finding her taking everything in with wide eyes a little amusing. Endearing, even.

"What, never been in one of these before?" he asked, obviously joking.

"Never even had my ears pierced before," she hummed softly, stopping abruptly as a woman with a very generous figure and long, black hair suddenly appeared in their path. Nearly every visible piece of skin that wasn't covered by the maxi dress she wore was covered in some type of ink.

She eyed Natsu and cocked her head just the slightest, her up-do falling over her left shoulder as she did so.

"Minerva," said Natsu in greeting.

"Natsu," the woman nodded, her eyes finding the clock on the wall. She frowned, and a small divot formed between her brows as she did so. "I didn't have you scheduled to come in today."

Natsu lifted his chin in the direction over his shoulder, and Minerva followed the action to see the group of teens still standing by the doors talking to Sting.

The older woman smiled for the first time at the sight, nodding her head. "It's been awhile since you've come in here with company."

"Well, it wasn't exactly planned-"

"Doesn't matter," she waved his explanation off, grabbing him by the bicep and pulling him in the direction of a room off to the side. "While you're here I'm going to finish that shading that you had me start the last time you were here. It should be healed enough by now to start the next phase."

Natsu tried not to panic, eyes falling momentarily on his bandage and then finding Lucy, who was being left to stand alone in the lobby area, still slightly drunk and staring after him sadly as he was seemingly disappearing into a room with an older woman.

Without thinking, he blurted, "Come on, Lucy."

Both Lucy and Minerva's eyes widened in surprise; Lucy's because she hadn't expected Natsu to care enough to invite her along, and Minerva's because Natsu had never willingly allowed anyone to see what was beneath the bandage.

"Interesting," the older woman smirked, and the boy only glared at her.

" _Shh_ ," he hissed as Minerva threw him down in the chair and slipped away momentarily to steal a pair of gloves from Sting.

Natsu's heartbeat was in his ears as the muffled sound of his friends' voices could be heard on the other side of the walls around them. Lucy sat silently beside him, with her eyes resting on the bandage.

He licked his lips, swallowing hard. "Do, uh, you wanna see it?"

She nodded quickly, then turned a little green around the edges at the abrupt action.

"Don't move your head so fast, dummy," he grinned, thankful for the distraction as he slowly began to unwrap his arm. "You're still drunk." _Damn, this was nerve-wracking._ He hadn't planned on anyone seeing it until it was finished, but he had also never really counted on a situation anything close to this.

His heart just about stopped when he felt her fingers ghost over the sensitive skin of his arm not a moment later, tracing over the design there that Minerva had been painstakingly slaving over for the last two and a half years.

"Wow," she breathed, and he watched her eyes carefully as they took in the vivid colors that had yet to see the light of day.

"It isn't finished yet," he was quick to say, suddenly feeling very, very vulnerable in front of the girl who left origami on his desk and had spent her time in Magnolia searching for the Salamander; searching for _him,_ but just didn't know it yet.

"It's beautiful," she said, barely about a whisper.

And before Natsu Dragneel even knew it, his eyes were going soft around the edges for a girl who didn't quite notice them yet.

* * *

 **WENDY EXPLANATION NEXT CHAPTER !**

 **Until Next Time...**

 **next chapter preview?**

"I can feel it in my bones, ya know. My father will hate me when I get home."


	14. Stars on Her Skin and Her Lips on His

**pairing:** nalu

 **a/n:** bet y'all weren't expecting back to back, were ya?

 **disclaimer:** I own nothing

* * *

Natsu waited until the front door of her building was closed and that she'd made it safely inside, and then he jumped in the air. His feet smacked the pavement. His hood flopped in his face and his beanie slipped from his head; the action made the newest addition of his tattoo pull uncomfortably but he didn't care.

Lucy had stretched up on her tiptoes, gripped onto his shoulders for leverage, and kissed him.

Natsu laughed, taking off down the street in a light jog to work off the adrenaline that was coursing through his system.

 _Talk about a girl full of surprises_ , he mused, laughing again when he thought about the scene back at Saber when Lucy had surprised both him and Minerva by asking if the tattoo process hurt at all.

 _The two seasoned veterans of the craft had exchanged a brief look._

 _"Not really," Natsu had said slowly as Minerva was finishing up. "It's more uncomfortable than anything. Like scratching a sunburn."_

 _Lucy had nodded at his words, and her eyes were still traveling up the length of his arm that was being laid in clear wrap._

 _"I want one."_

Natsu stuffed his hands in his pockets as he slowed to a walk, enjoying the sound of his sneakers on the sidewalk as he walked back in the direction of downtown. He couldn't go home now. Not when the fire was coursing through his system hotter than it had been in months.

This was prime time for his paints.

 _She'd held his hand, squeezing tightly when Minerva's needle first pressed into her smooth, blank skin._

 _"How much do I owe you for it?" He'd asked the older woman later, after Lucy had slipped from the room to join the others out in the lobby area._

 _Minerva had that little grin going that drove Natsu and the guys around Saber crazy. It was the smirk that made it appear as though she knew something the rest of them didn't know. "Free of charge."_

 _"Really?"_

 _"Yeah, it was hardly any ink at all. It's less of a tattoo and more a new collection of freckles. Any idea why she wanted a constellation on her shoulder blade?"_

Not a clue, _he thought. He thanked Minerva and then followed Lucy out to where their friends had last been heard._

Natsu rounded the street corner of what would soon become his newest piece. He scooped up a fair-sized rock and had to refrain from adding a little skip to his step as he entered the mouth of the alleyway that he would soon be spending most of his time. Tossing the rock in the air, he let it fall back into his waiting palm and thanked the skies about for the moonlight that night.

 _He had offered to_ _walk her home after that, once he noticed how heavy her eyes were becoming._

Natsu jumped up and caught one of the rings of the metal ladder. He took a deep breath and then hefted himself up so that he could get a good spot on the fire escape. The rock glided against the side of the brick as he began to sketch his newest piece.

Inspiration was fruitful that night.

 _They'd walked in companionable silence at first, and then Lucy had broken into a fit of giggles._

 _"What?"_ _Natsu asked, unable to keep the grin from his voice. Her laugh sounded like the bells he'd once loved so much._

 _"Oh, it's nothing," she shook her head, trying to get ahold of herself. She tried to look at him with a straight face, but it only caused her to break into another fit. "It's just, I can feel it in my bones, ya know?" Her fingers reached up to brush across her shoulder. "My father will hate me when I get home."_

 _"Why the constellation?"_

 _"Why the sleeve?" she'd teased, turning the question around on him._

 _Maybe it was the fading effects of the_ _alcohol that was still in his system, or maybe it was the pretty girl with the long blonde hair and big, doe eyes that had viewed his art and actually_ saw _it. Whatever it was, it made him open his big mouth._

 _"My sister."_

 _Her eyes had widened a bit in surprise. "Oh," she'd said softly. "I didn't know you had a sister."_

 _That had struck a chord in Natsu-had made him frown. He'd always hated that response whenever he mentioned Wendy for the first time, but it wasn't Lucy's fault. He'd never mentioned her; rarely does anymore ever since the state had taken her away._

 _"Her name is Wendy," he said softly, staring straight ahead as they rounded the last corner leading to the address that she had told him. "She's a short little thing with long, blue hair. Been with my family ever since she was a baby." The corners of Natsu's mouth lifted as something dawned on him. "She'll be turning eight next week._ _"_

 _Lucy was silent beside him, and to his surprise, wordlessly slipped her arm through his._

 _"I'd love to meet her sometime."_

 _Natsu felt the cold air around them settle into his bones at her words, and every breath that he let out felt as_ _though he were losing a little more than just air in his system._

She's not around here anymore _, he'd thought sadly._ I don't know where she is. They won't tell me.

 _Lucy was looking up at him expectancy, but his response had just been an noncommittal hum._

 _It didn't seem to phase her, however, as they finally came to a stop outside her front door. "Thanks for tonight, Natsu."_

 _He smirked, "Actually, I think we have Levy to thank for tonight's outing."_

 _Lucy had laughed and then looked up him through her lashes. Perhaps it was the lingering effects of the alcohol that made the timid girl from class so brave, but regardless, her lips had pressed softly to his for a little more than just a fraction of a second._

Natsu wiped the cold sweat from his brow, finally getting the bright idea of shedding one of his many layers as he stared up at his finished sketch.

The Salamander had officially regained his touch.

* * *

 **talk about some angst coming up and a better, more in-depth Wendy story curtesy of one fiery redhead**

 **Until Next Time...**


End file.
